Help please 2002 Camry Stalls

[rdukes614]

Anybody know why my Camry stalls with a full gas tank. Charcoal canister has been replaced by Toyota and they recognize it as a problem but offer no solution as of yet. Runs fine at other levels of fuel.

[Celica Tech]

You are overfilling your tank and it is then dumping all the extra fuel into the canister. when it purges the canister your motor is then flooded out. when flling your tank, Stop filling once it does its first cut off, dont try to get that extra 20 cents into it.

[rdukes614]

Thanks for the reply. I have not topped off the tank since I have owned the car. I brought it to Toyota and they filled up the car with gas and after replacing the charcoal canister they tested the car and still experienced the same problem. They will follow up I was wondering if someone else was experiencing the same problem.

Thanks again.

Ray

[Brian R.]

Originally Posted by rdukes614

Anybody know why my Camry stalls with a full gas tank. Charcoal canister has been replaced by Toyota and they recognize it as a problem but offer no solution as of yet. Runs fine at other levels of fuel.

Does this mean it starts and drives and then stalls after a while? or that it won't drive, just starts and then dies when you put it in gear? or won't start?

[powellmw]

I have experienced the same issue once before. I am experiencing a repeat of precisely the same issue now.

I have had my car in once before for a fuel leak, which was diagnosed as a faulty charcoal canister. Thankfully replaced under warranty at no expense to me (this is quite a major expense to see repaired!).

Related points that I can determine are as follows.

I work from home, so my car sits cold, parked on an inclined driveway, for an extended period of time, sometimes 3-4 day stretches.

Starts from cold do not always succeed the first 1-2 times. When the car finally does start, it is labored, with a shudder.

The car wants to stall when idling or at low speeds (pulling away, or stopping, or while just sitting there at a light, for example). When parking, the car is also dangerous with lurches (inconsistent fuel pressure?). I find that I have to depress the throttle just a little to keep fuel pressure going.

I do top off the tank, but who doesn't? This seems like a silly thing to have to expect from the vehicle owner.

The damage to the charcoal canister appears to be cumulative over time, not sudden or accute. Although when the damage does occur, it is downhill from there.

Knowing nothing (relatively speaking) about cars, this is the best I can determine. The only thing I can figure is that somehow residuel fuel after the line having been under pressure is being collected in the charcoal canister, which is causing the damage. The canister is not designed to collect residuel fuel from the line while the car sits cold? The incline enables it to collect residuel fuel?

The driveway thing I can change, I can park in the garage for example. But what if I lived in Pennsylvania or California for example and had to park on a hill? I would be SOL. This strikes me as a design flaw with the 2002 Camry fuel system, which I hope Toyota will stand behind and correct properly this time.

[powellmw]

Originally Posted by rdukes614

Anybody know why my Camry stalls with a full gas tank. Charcoal canister has been replaced by Toyota and they recognize it as a problem but offer no solution as of yet. Runs fine at other levels of fuel.

That was precisely the symptom Toyota repaired in my Camry. They ended up replacing the charcoal canister as well. I would venture to guess that you are experiencing a repeat of the same issue (charcoal canister failure). Let us know how it goes. I will do the same.

[powellmw]

Originally Posted by powellmw

That was precisely the symptom Toyota repaired in my Camry. They ended up replacing the charcoal canister as well. I would venture to guess that you are experiencing a repeat of the same issue (charcoal canister failure). Let us know how it goes. I will do the same.

The dealer confirmed the same for me. The problem is caused by overfilling and that I shouldn't overfill the tank.

Personally, I think that is b/s. Who doesn't overfill the tank, get to the next even $$$, etc? Even the tank gauge indicates that the tank is overfilled.

Basically what that says to me is that the dealer acknowledges that it is an issue but is unwilling too do the right thing and issue a recall to fix the issue.

As far as I'm concerned, that isn't my problem and is the dealers to resolve. It is a design issue with the vehicle that the dealer should stand behind and resolve. I will be filing a complaint with the BBB.

I might even entertain after market changes to remedy the situation if I didn't also think that might void any warranty that I already have.

[Mike Gerber]

Originally Posted by powellmw

The dealer confirmed the same for me. The problem is caused by overfilling and that I shouldn't overfill the tank.

Personally, I think that is b/s. Who doesn't overfill the tank, get to the next even $$$, etc? Even the tank gauge indicates that the tank is overfilled.

Basically what that says to me is that the dealer acknowledges that it is an issue but is unwilling too do the right thing and issue a recall to fix the issue.

As far as I'm concerned, that isn't my problem and is the dealers to resolve. It is a design issue with the vehicle that the dealer should stand behind and resolve. I will be filing a complaint with the BBB.

I might even entertain after market changes to remedy the situation if I didn't also think that might void any warranty that I already have.

It isn't the dealer who is responsible for issuing a recall. It's Toyota corporate. The dealer can only do what Toyota allows him to do and what Toyota will pay them for. If it is an emmisions or safety related issue/defect then they can be forced to recall these vehicles by the National Highway Transporata Safety Administration. You may want to contact Toyota corporate customer service at 800-331-4331 and explain your experiences and feelings about the issue. If enough people call, then maybe Toyota will do something about it for all owners.

Good luck.

Mike

[Toysrme]

Like Brain said. Stop over-filling the tank. That's not a Toyota problem.

It happens on many vehicles, but on other brands, you can damage the fuel sending units by over-filling, or leaving the key in the igniton while getting gas (Which begs the question, how freaking retarded are you to leave a key in the ignition?)









If it really pisses yall off that you can't over-fill the gastank, delete the EVAP system from the car, and deal with the CEL & failing emessions (if you have emessions.)

[powellmw]

Originally Posted by Mike Gerber

It isn't the dealer who is responsible for issuing a recall. It's Toyota corporate. The dealer can only do what Toyota allows him to do and what Toyota will pay them for. If it is an emmisions or safety related issue/defect then they can be forced to recall these vehicles by the National Highway Transporata Safety Administration. You may want to contact Toyota corporate customer service at 800-331-4331 and explain your experiences and feelings about the issue. If enough people call, then maybe Toyota will do something about it for all owners.

Good luck.

Mike

Thank you for the reply and your insight. I hadn't thought about it that way. Basically, the dealer's hands are tied, especially when talking about legislated (?) design requirements.

[powellmw]

Originally Posted by Toysrme

Like Brain said. Stop over-filling the tank. That's not a Toyota problem.

I know, it sounds like we're am pointing fingers at Toyota. I don't think this is the case, but that's the way it might appear. It is, after all, a design issue which prevents additional fuel being added. Why are we responsible for a design decision that was beyond my control?

That being said, the only action we really have control over is whether we top off our tanks. At the very least, it would be helpful to understand what are the tolerances? How much overfilling is potentially detrimental?

Originally Posted by Toysrme

It happens on many vehicles, but on other brands, you can damage the fuel sending units by over-filling, or leaving the key in the igniton while getting gas (Which begs the question, how freaking retarded are you to leave a key in the ignition?)

Oh, this can be the outcome on a 2002 Camry as well. Damage to the charcoal canister, low fuel pressure, flooding the engine, etc.

Originally Posted by Toysrme

If it really pisses yall off that you can't over-fill the gastank, delete the EVAP system from the car, and deal with the CEL & failing emessions (if you have emessions.)

Now there's an option. (jk...)

Seriously though, I'm just frustrated is all. Overfilling tanks is something that has been programmed into me for as long as I've driven vehicles. It is just something one does as a consumer. And now to learn that we can't because of some emissions requirement that some legislator passed...

The laws are out of touch with reality IMHO. But, what can one do? Find a new system? Or change the way we're thinking about it (difficult as that is sometimes...) and hope that the lawmakers grow a clue some day?

[foxwood21]

My car was giving me a 0446 code the dealer had to relpace my canister too they said i was overfilling the tank and the canister was flooded with fuel. I have had My 2002 almost 4years 103k on it its funny that i just started to over fill my tank dont you think?

[powellmw]

Originally Posted by foxwood21

My car was giving me a 0446 code the dealer had to relpace my canister too they said i was overfilling the tank and the canister was flooded with fuel. I have had My 2002 almost 4years 103k on it its funny that i just started to over fill my tank dont you think?

My two cents...

The thing that comes to mind now is to define terms. What do we consider to be overfilled? Toyota claims that anything past the backfill clicking off during refill is overfilled. Or is it a little more of a lax tolerance? $0.25? $0.75? $1.50? etc. Intuitively we might not consider it overfilled, but we may also not understand the inner workings of the fuel system like we think we do, or like we've understood it in the past.

[mitsubishi2001]

i am just curious, what the charcoal canistor does in the fuel line system?